Daily Archives: 02/22/2013

(Community Matters) Not to be underestimated:

–“New entry in the AP Stylebook: ‘husband, wife'” – AP release: “Regardless of sexual orientation, husband or wife is acceptable in all references to individuals in any legally recognized marriage. Spouse or partner may be used if requested. ‘The AP has never had a Stylebook entry on the question of the usage of husband and wife,’ said AP Senior Managing Editor for U.S. News Mike Oreskes. ‘All the previous conversation was in the absence of such a formal entry. This lays down clear and simple usage. After reviewing existing practice, we are formalizing ‘husband, wife’ as an entry.'” http://bit.ly/YgrH58

Reminds me – last week sitting down to breakfast with a new company CEO, I referred to my husband. He looked confused and asked me to repeat what I’d just said. I knew what was going on but feigned not catching his confusion. When I clarified that Steven Tomlinson was my husband, he just looked at me, gulped and said, “ok, I thought that’s what you said.” I knew he wasn’t reacting with prejudice; he just hadn’t ever heard a man call another man his husband. That’s okay. He dealt with it just fine, and we left committed to pursuing a business relationship.

(Community Matters) $1,300 to a family earning $60,000 per year (or 2% of take home pay), that’s a lot. That’s the impact of expired payroll tax cut and its impact on discretionary spending so real WalMart, Burger King, Kraft and heaps of retailers, restaurants and consumer-good companies lowering earnings expectation.

(Community Matters) MPR/KXWT’s Lorne Matalon interviews Jim Henry

(Community Matters)

(Community Matters) Considering recent GOP state led voter suppression initiatives such as voter ID laws, fewer voting locations in communities of color, indiscriminate purging of voter lists, outside campaigns of intimidation, and reduced early voting days, one would think it’s not a good time to argue Federal protections aren’t still necessary to ensure citizens’ right to vote

Lawmakers proposed 62 photo ID bills in 37 states in the 2011 and 2012 sessions, with multiple bills introduced in some states. Ten states have passed strict photo ID laws since 2008, though several may not be in effect in November because of legal challenges.

A News21 analysis found that more than half of the 62 bills were sponsored by members or conference attendees of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), a Washington, D.C.-based, tax-exempt organization.  At ALEC’s annual conferences, legislators, nonprofits and corporations work together without direct public input to develop bills that promote smaller government.

From The Voting Rights Project at News 21; part of the Carnegie-Knight Initiative on the Future of Journalism Education

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